SF 49ers: 4 practice squad players who see significant snaps in 2021
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: SF 49ers Fullback Josh Hokit
The Niners and their perennial Pro Bowl fullback, Kyle Juszczyk, are hitting a crossroads this offseason.
The pending free agent is likely to command a hefty deal San Francisco probably can’t afford, and it’s not a good situation for the team to be in amid the lowered salary cap and with so many other free agents on the roster needing to be re-signed.
While the SF 49ers would be better off retaining Juszczyk, the dim reality is they probably won’t be able to.
Related Story. 4 players on 49ers roster who can replace Kyle Juszczyk. light
This scenario was foreshadowed by the post-draft addition of former Fresno State fullback Josh Hokit, who never cracked the regular-season roster but was at least initially an on-roster reserve to guard against potentially losing Juszczyk.
Turns out, that’s something that could easily happen this offseason.
While the Niners could explore other contingency plans to replace Juszczyk in 2021, such as moving tight end Ross Dwelley into more of a lead-blocker role, looking at Hokit as a would-be replacement has to be in the cards, too.
Hokit might not be anywhere near as versatile a weapon as Juszczyk. But if the former separates himself as an option between now and Week 1, there’s a good chance he winds up carving out a niche role for himself.